KOREA FOUNDATION

The KFVN Education and Publicity Team recently served as volunteer help at the Thomas Homeless Shelter soup kitchen nearby Yeongdeungpo Station. The team organizes regular orientation workshops for newcomers and provides updated information through the KFVN monthly newsletter. In this instance, the team volunteered to help out at a soup kitchen to both promote its community volunteer program as well as to make new friends.
   Thomas Homeless Shelter is a soup kitchen in the Yeongdeungpo area that offers hot meals to residents and senior citizens in need. Although a bit clumsy early on, we put our hearts into preparing the food, washing more than 250 dishes, and making sure everything was as clean and neat as possible. Even though most team members were in their 20s, the half-day of intense labor was enough to wear them out, which heightened our respect for the volunteers who have been operating this place for the past 20 years. Chai Na Bangchang, one of our volunteers, commented, “As a Thai soldier dispatched to Korea, it was great to get this chance to volunteer. I hope to continue volunteering to help the elderly.” Nico Castillo, of Chile, remarked, “I’ve volunteered in Korea and abroad, but today was particularly enjoyable because I met such great people. Please call me when this opportunity comes again.”
   The Education and Publicity Team has plans to organize more volunteer projects in the upcoming year. Anyone who has completed the team’s training workshop is eligible to apply. We’d love to have new additions to our family!
   Volunteer projects are announced in the monthly schedule at the end of each newsletter and on the KFVN Facebook page.

KFVN Reporter Kim Hye-mi